Indiana licenses behavior analysts under IC 25-8.5. You need BCBA certification, a national criminal history check, no disqualifying discipline elsewhere, statements from every state that has licensed you and the $100 fee. Licenses renew by December 31 of odd-numbered years with two Indiana CE units. Nonresidents may practice up to five days a month and fifteen a year.
Indiana created behavior analyst licensing in 2021 with Article 8.5 of Title 25 of the Indiana Code (P.L. 212-2021). The Behavior Analyst Committee considers applications and renewals, the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana adopts the rules on the committee's recommendation, and the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) runs the program. The rules are at 844 IAC 21. Applications took time to arrive: IPLA's page notes, "5/13/2025: Licensed Behavior Analyst and Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst applications are now live!"
IC 25-8.5-3-6 says no one may practice applied behavior analysis, call themselves a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant, or use "LBA" or "LABA" without an Indiana license, subject to listed exceptions. A violation is a Class A misdemeanor (IC 25-8.5-3-7).
What does Indiana require for the LBA?
IC 25-8.5-3-1 lists five requirements:
- Satisfactory evidence that you are a BCBA, certified by the BACB or another entity the committee approves.
- A national criminal history background check under IC 25-1-1.1-4, with evidence that you have no conviction bearing directly on your ability to practice.
- Evidence that no licensing or certification agency elsewhere has disciplined you because you could not practice without endangering the public.
- An application in the form the committee prescribes.
- The fee.
Rule 844 IAC 21-2-1 fills in the application. It asks for demographic information including citizenship, military history, employment history and every other state of licensure; information on "fitness for practice, including disciplinary, criminal, and substance abuse history"; and a statement from the licensing agency in each state where you have been licensed, certifying whether discipline has ever been started or is pending. The committee verifies your BCBA status with the BACB.
What does it cost?
Under 844 IAC 21-2-4:
- LBA application and issuance: $100. By reciprocity: $75.
- LABA application and issuance: $75. By reciprocity: $50.
- Renewal: $100 for an LBA, $75 for an LABA.
- Late renewal penalty: $50.
Application fees are nonrefundable. The background check fee is separate.
How does reciprocity work in Indiana?
IC 25-8.5-3-3 lets the committee license someone who "possesses a valid license from another jurisdiction" for the same acts, if that jurisdiction's requirements are "substantially equal" to Indiana's. Rule 844 IAC 21-2-3 defines that as "licensure in a state or territory of the United States that requires similar education, experience, and certification." A reciprocity applicant meets the regular application requirements, describes the scope of practice in each other state of licensure, and completes the national criminal history check.
The rule adds a warning: "Failure by an applicant to report licensure or certification in another state is considered a false application and may be subject to disciplinary action or denial of a license." List everything. The lower reciprocity fee is the main practical difference from a regular application. See BCBA license by endorsement.
Can a nonresident practice in Indiana without a license?
Briefly. IC 25-8.5-3-6(b)(2)(C) exempts an individual who is not an Indiana resident if they perform services in Indiana "for not more than five (5) days in any one (1) month and not more than fifteen (15) days within any one (1) calendar year," are authorized to perform them under the laws of the state or country where they live, and do not use Indiana's licensed titles.
That window is tighter than most. Even one session a week uses up the 15-day annual cap in under four months. It suits occasional consultation, not ongoing service. Compare temporary practice rules in other states.
What does the assistant license require?
IC 25-8.5-3-2 mirrors the LBA list at the BCaBA level. Once licensed, an assistant "must be directly supervised by a behavior analyst licensed under this chapter" and "must submit to the committee a written record of the supervision provided." The application rule (844 IAC 21-2-2) also requires "a signed contract with an LBA, and approved by the BACB, to provide supervision." At renewal, the LABA submits the supervision contract again plus "a written record of the supervision provided to the individual by an LBA during the preceding renewal period" (844 IAC 21-2-5).
That written record is filed with the state, not just kept for the BACB, so supervision documentation has to be clean enough to hand to a regulator. See supervision rules for licensed assistant behavior analysts.
Where do RBTs fit?
Indiana's exemptions include "an applied behavior analysis direct contact technician" or a family member implementing a plan at home "who acts under the extended authority and direction of a behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst licensed under this chapter" (IC 25-8.5-3-6(b)(2)(D)). Licensed or certified health care professionals acting within their scope and training, students and trainees, and professionals serving organizations only are also exempt, provided none of them uses the protected titles. There is no state technician license. See do RBTs need a state license or registration?
How does renewal work?
All Indiana behavior analyst licenses renew on or before December 31 of each odd-numbered year (844 IAC 21-2-5), so the next deadline is December 31, 2027. Renewal requires the fee, proof of CE, the same demographic and fitness information as the application, and statements from each state of licensure about discipline. IPLA verifies with the BACB that you are actively certified and not disciplined.
Indiana's CE rule is short. Under 844 IAC 21-3-1, each licensee completes one CE unit in trauma-informed care and one CE unit in either abuse and neglect or mandatory reporting. The rule says these units "may also be used to maintain certification with the BACB," so choose courses that count for both. See CE requirements across states.
Can we take the Indiana paperwork off your plate?
We prepare, organize and track: the application answers for your review, statements from every state that has licensed you, the national background check, and for assistants, the supervision contract and log. You review, sign and submit the application yourself. The BACB has warned that letting another person or entity complete a licensure application on your behalf "may be a violation of state law," and we never ask for your IPLA login.
License by Endorsement is $599 per state, the Full State License Application is $749, and the Assistant Behavior Analyst License is $399. State and background check fees are separate. See pricing and the Indiana state page.
Common questions
- How long can I practice in Indiana without an Indiana license?
- A nonresident authorized where they live may provide ABA in Indiana for no more than five days in any month and fifteen days in a calendar year, without using Indiana's licensed titles (IC 25-8.5-3-6).
- What CE does Indiana require for behavior analysts?
- One CE unit in trauma-informed care and one in abuse and neglect or mandatory reporting each renewal. The rule allows those units to count toward BACB recertification too.
- When do Indiana behavior analyst licenses renew?
- On or before December 31 of each odd-numbered year. Renewal is $100 for an LBA and $75 for an LABA, with a $50 late penalty.
- What do Indiana assistant behavior analysts file with the state?
- A signed supervision contract with an Indiana LBA when applying and renewing, and a written record of the supervision received during the prior renewal period.
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